Removal of 172 individuals' names from ECL: government wants to linger on matter: PBC VC

The federal government referred the matter of removal of the names of 172 individuals implicated in the fake account case from exit control list (ECL) to the review committee in order to linger the matter. This was stated by Vice-Chairman Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Kamran Murtaza while talking to Business Recorder.
"The apex court told the government that it had not directed the government to place the names of 172 individuals on the ECL rather the government created an impression that it was the directives of the apex court," he said.
The review committee comprises of Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior, Joint Secretary (Law), Joint Secretary (Political/FIA) and Section Officer ECL.
The apex court on December 31 asked the government to review its decision of placing 172 names on ECL.
Sources said that the apex court has asked government to review its decision and did not issue any written order to remove these names from no-fly-list therefore it forwarded the matter to review committee. "The committee will finalize its recommendation and would present a report to the cabinet," they said, adding that cabinet will make the final decision in the wake of review committee recommendation.
The federal cabinet on the recommendations of the JIT on December 27 decided to place the names of 172 prominent individuals on the ECL, including Pakistan People Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Murad Ali Shah, Farooq H Naek and several other leaders and provincial ministers belonging to the PPP.
According to ECL policy, names would be placed on ECL following the recommendation of Supreme Court, High Courts, tribunals of equivalent status, defence headquarters, federal intelligence agencies, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
As per policy, people who found involved in the following crimes would not be allowed to travel abroad that include:- (a) espionage, subversion, act of terrorism, conspiracy against state (b) any act prejudicial to the integrity, security of defence of Pakistan, (c) drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, (d) person belong to proscribed organization, (e) deserters from a defence or security force or strategic organization,( f) economic crimes involving public funds and institutional frauds and (g) tax/loan default or other state liability of more than Rs 50 million or fraud in a public corporate entity (office holder as director) subject to certificate by referring authority that the fraud amount is Rs 100 million or more subject to satisfaction by a committee constituted for the purpose.